Currently, there are a number of identification card (ID) products available in the marketplace. These constructions have included the blow on or tip on of a plastic card onto a sheet which is then passed through a dot matrix printer. When attempting to laser print these cards, the card may peel off the sheet and become jammed in the printer. With today's high speed printers, this type of construction, with the card superimposed on the surface of the sheet creates a stacking problem in the feed tray, in that if a large number of these sheets are stacked in a tray they have a tendency to fall over or create an uneven stack due to the uneven surface area of the cards. In order to avoid the stacking problems, fewer sheets are placed in the feed tray which then requires constant operator involvement to continue placing sheets in the feed tray.
Another solution which has been proposed and in an effort to eliminate the uneven surface area has been to create a multiple part construction in which a window is created in the substrate and the card is inserted into the window. While this does away with the problems associated with stacking, there are increased costs related to the construction due to multiple parts which must be assembled. In addition, due to the increased thickness of the product, the amount of products which can be stacked in a tray for a laser printer is limited, again requiring the operator to maintain a constant interaction with the printer.
A still further prior art embodiment which has been adapted to correct the foregoing problems has been the creation a single sheet which is then laminated with a plastic film to create a card area. In this construction, a sheet is provided, to which an adhesive is applied and then a plastic film is laid over the adhesive. In order to reduce the thickness of the sheet in the area of the lamination, the plastic film or area of the paper having the lamination is calendared or compressed to reduce the overall signature of the sheet. However, this construction also encounters difficulties, such as curling due to exposure of the plastic film to the heat of the laser printer, delamination of the film when the stock is stored too long, and generally conventional plastic films may not accept toner readily from a laser printer. In addition, the cost of such constructions are expensive in that they require not only the paper substrate but also plastic films and laminating equipment. Thus, there is still a need for a cost effective construction which eliminates the foregoing problems.